supply needs if the current drought continues," and, “as much as $115.7 billion annually by 2060, with (more than) a million lost jobs."


While the Texas plan relies on several high-cost desalination plants to convert seawater and brackish groundwater, 24 percent of the 9 million acre-feet per year of new supply by 2060 will come from conservation, which has minimal capital costs. Discussions involve not only replacing St. Augustine lawns with drought- resistant plants, but also requiring cities to patch leaky pipes, incentivizing farmers to use more efficient water strategies, and rewarding household users who use less.


The state planners agree that water charges will have to go up, but say they are trying not to hike rates too much on water used for a household's basic needs to be met. They do, however, contend that they will need to hit our wallets for “lavish uses such as lawn watering.” We may see water restrictions and rate hikes come sooner at


the local level. For the first time in nearly five years, the North Texas Municipal Water District is considering a move to Stage 4 water restrictions (their highest contemplated level). This would allow cities to prohibit the irrigation of landscaping using treated water, prohibit permitting of private pools, and initiate a rate surcharge for water use that exceeds normal rates. The District's Model Drought Contingency Plan was finalized in 2008, and outlines model ordinances for cities to adopt if Stage 4 is implemented.


It's estimated that as much as half of the water we use on our landscapes goes to waste due to evaporation, wind, and improperly scheduled irrigation systems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WaterSense program has released a final specification for weather-based irrigation controllers, making them the first outdoor product category eligible to earn the WaterSense label. Manufacturers of these products have now begun the testing and certification process. Weather-based irrigation controllers use local weather data to tailor irrigation schedules to actual site conditions. WaterSense labeled models will be independently certified to meet EPA's water- efficiency and performance criteria, ensuring that they are able to meet the water needs of the plants without overwatering.


IXII GREATER DFW METROPLEX BUILDING SAVVY MAGAZINE


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INDUSTRY NEWS


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